BEA ULL Kool Keith Sweat

[Kool Keith Sweat]

Kool Keith Sweat Listening Log for 03/17/2014

My computer charger is fried again so my log for each day is gonna be a bit late for today and maybe tomorrow as well. Monday was a pretty light day; woke up late and then decided to spend my evening watching some True Detective rather than listening to music.

2:58 PM Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes (2012)

Back in 2010 I was addicted to Pitchfork and checked their reviews each day. I noticed that within about a week of each other they reviewed two albums with very similar covers, Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma and Gonjasufi's A Sufi and A Killer. The idea of sister albums or whatever appeals to me, so I checked them out and found that they were connected through Brainfeeder/Warp and listened to both and from that point on I became a Flying Lotus fan (and a Gonjasufi fan). Cosmogramma is one of my top 30-ish favorite albums of the decade thus far and Los Angeles is easily one of my top 100 favorite albums of all time, and these feelings were established in 2011. So when 2012 rolls around and Flying Lotus announces a new album (especially with that badass promo video), I jizz in my pants. I listened to Until the Quiet Comes a handful of times when it came out and have listened to it a handful of times since then, constantly returning to it to find something that I've missed, but I simply do not enjoy this album nearly as much as FlyLo's previous two albums. I don't think it's a black mark on his career or anything, I just don't connect to it. I’m unsure if I’ll ever actively put this on again. “All In,” “Getting There,” “See Thru to U,” “All the Secrets,” and maybe “Tiny Tortures” are the standouts to me.

3:54 The Gaslamp Killer - Breakthrough (2012)

After becoming obsessed with Flying Lotus and A Sufi and A Killer, I explored Brainfeeder a bit and took to listening to their podcast for a month or two. The Gaslamp Killer was a recurring name on the podcast and seemed one of the biggest on the Brainfeeder label, and had also produced some tracks for FlyLo and Gonjasufi. So, when his first proper studio album was announced in 2012, I had high hopes. I listened to this once the day it came out and was disappointed; listened to it a second time the following day and I feelings were the same; I listened to it a third time today because I was reminded of it by FlyLo, and though I think it’s better than I remember, I’m still not too fussed over it. It’s interesting to compare this to Until the Quiet Comes, because I think this album has more standout tracks than it yet isn’t a better album since FlyLo’s is incredibly cohesive in its sound while this seems disjointed, and many of the songs on this album fall incredibly stagnant. Gaslamp Killer also doesn’t seem as concerned with atmosphere as FlyLo, but I’m still interested to see where his career goes (though I’m unsure if I’ll ever actively put this on again). Standouts to me are “Veins,” “Critic,” “Apparitions,” “Nissim,” “Keep It Simple Stupid,” “Seven Years of Bad Luck for Fun,” and “In the Dark.

4:41 Peanut Butter Wolf - My Vinyl Weighs A Ton (1999)

I went to a show this past Saturday where Peanut Butter Wolf, Prince Paul, Madlib, and Dam Funk did a house-party-style DJ set where they all did… stuff with 45s, switching off every 15-20 minutes or so. I’d never heard of Peanut Butter Wolf previously, and he kept his own among the other DJs (and perhaps was even more impressive). This is his most-acclaimed album. So this is my first listen to this album and it’s still kind of a blur but I will definitely be returning to this several times. Reminds me most of J Dilla’s stuff but if you like Madlib and Prince Paul’s production then you’ll like this as well.

5:49 Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Pinata (2014)

My second listen to this. I think lethalnezzle’s said everything that needs to be said, and I mostly agree with it, though I don’t think it’s the best album of the past five or so years. I’ll be returning to this frequently as well. It’s a bit early for me to discern standouts but I’m really digging the tracks with Earl and Domo as well as “Thuggin” and “Deeper.”

I listened to each of these via grooveshark while doing dumb shit on my computer

I'll try to make the following days' logs more interesting. In a bit of a rush today...

[satiemaniac]

I don't want to affect what ends up on the log with direct interjection of suggestions, but definitely shoot me a PM to remind me when the week is out to send you a list. The way people are gonna be explaining their listening in depth, what attracts them to listening to something, what they like and dislike about recordings - that's gonna be huge for people on this forum to be able to better grasp what to suggest they spend their days on.

Outside of that bit, this is great and pretty much how I saw this kind of thread going. It was interesting to see a thematic link between the first two (and there's definitely a "mood" to pin down here, but I haven't listened to everything you listed, so maybe I'm wrong). You did a great job elaborating and yeah, nothing else to say. I'm getting excited about this and can't wait for today's installment (or tomorrow's... it's confusing )!

[Cartesius]

Nice start, keep it going!

[Hayden]

You had never heard of Peanut Butter Wolf? Amazing DJ. Without him, there's a possibility Madvillainy never even would have happened.

Check out his album with Charizma, it's a hip-hop classic. Might go listen to it now actually. It's been a while.

[Kool Keith Sweat]

Kool Keith Sweat Listening Log for 03/18/2014

~9:30 AM Last Exit - Köln (1990?)

First listen to this, while driving about town running errands. I was given the CD to borrow from a friend of a friend that's completing their doctorate on the history avant garde jazz in Germany; it was more of a rec on whimsy (because it was talked about after I played Sleep at a record listening party and somehow the convo shifted to this) rather than a favorite of his, though I believe Brotzmann is one of his favorite players. It features Peter Brotzmann and Sonny Sharrock and then what I understand to be a rock/blues rhythm section. It sounds like the heavy metal of jazz, but it lacks the ferocity of something like On the Corner. As it leans towards the avant garde side of jazz, it would take me quite a few listens to really become acquainted with it but frankly I'm not sure I'm interested in the sound enough to warrant too many more listens; I've heard much better from both Brotzmann and Sharrock. Highly recommended to Applerill if he hasn't heard it, maybe into some of the people into psych/garage rock of the past 5 years or so.

(cont. during errand run) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1964)

Just got through the first three tracks of this guy before I got back home. I've listened to this countless times and I'm positive there's nothing about it I can say that hasn't been said better. It's my second favorite jazz album of all time and easily one of my top 20 favorite jazz albums of all time. One of the most obvious entries in any primer of jazz, particularly given the fame of John Coltrane's name. I don't even remember how I heard about this album or where I picked it up from it's been so long.

At 4:30, Siaorse goes to a movie so I decide to exercise my record player, blasting these back to back...

Sun Ra - Jazz in Silhouette (1959)

I first heard about Sun Ra when Rolling Stone compared the guitars of Wayne Kramer and Fred Smith (of MC5) to him, and then I tucked the name away for about seven years. Just about three years ago I began getting into jazz, decided to jump straight into free jazz, decided upon scaruffi.com as my primary sourcing material, and thus discovered Sun Ra. I mostly focused on his '60s output and it took me a year or two to get to this release, which I've now heard between fifteen to twenty times. I've heard 14 Sun Ra records, and I'd place this as around my third least favorite, slightly ahead of Space is the Place and pretty much on par with Sound of Joy, but it's still superb, and better than most albums in bands entire discographies (hence, why I was willing to dish out $10 to get it on vinyl). Sun Ra is my overall favorite jazz musician. Recommend this as essential piano jazz, though I prefer records from McCoy Tyner, Cecil Taylor, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, and the Bleys to the piano demonstrated on this record.

Sun Ra - Lanquidity (1978)

Not much to add to my history with Sun Ra records here. I'd say this right around the middle of what I've heard as far as being a favorite. The only other '70s albums I've heard from Sun Ra are Space is the Place and Cosmos, so I'm not 100%sure how he got to his sound on this record. I need to rememdy that; I'll be taking recs.

Marion Brown - Afternoon of a Georgia Faun (1970)

There was a period of a couple weeks where I checked out the works of the personnel on Free Jazz and Ascension and came across Marion Brown (from the latter), whose most acclaimed work appeared to be this. My first reaction was similar to dividesbyzero's, but I didn't pick up on the birds queueing anything in particular. Honestly, this is around my tenth listen and I'm still not quite got a grip on what I'm listening to all the way through, which is really why I listen to most free jazz. I think it's incredibly refreshing to return to a piece of music so many times and not just find something new but still be lost. I was lucky to nab this on vinyl at Friends of Sound in Austin (an otherwise shitty store) for relatively cheap, and have been listening to it more often as a result (I'm glad).

The Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric (1972)

First listen to this. Picked it up for $4 at Breakaway in Austin. Never heard Weather Report before but I've been meaning to get to them and I remember this album being in Scaruffi's top 50 jazz albums, so I picked it up. Honestly, it's a bit of a wash in my memory right now, but I remember some psychedelic shit and synths. I'll be returning to this, just was fading out of the state of mind for it, which is why this day's log is concluded.

[GeevyDallas]

yo this is better than i thought it would be tbh, big up kks

[Kool Keith Sweat]

I never wrote about what I listened to during my last four days because of business and laziness, but I did record what I listened to, which I'll post. If anyone wants to discuss any of these things, just say so...

Last Exit – Koln (first two songs)
3:04 – Loop – Heaven’s End
3:48 Bardo Pond – Bufo Alvarius
5:26 Liars – Mess
6:52 The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream (John Waite “Missing You”; Don Henley “The Boys of Summer”; Rod Stewart’ Bruce Springsteen)

6:11 Brian Jonestown Massacre - Aufheben
7:13 The Horrors – Skying (wait, did I stop listening to BJM? Then everything starts to sound like Simple Minds)
8:35 Black Lips – Underneath the Rainbow
9:12 Moon Duo – Circles
9:59 Mikal Cronin – MCII


~ 7:40 Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
9:41 Lightnin' Hopkins - Blues in my Bottle
10:53 Talabot - fin
~12:30 Tortoise - TNT in the car
2:35 To Rococo Rot - Veiculo aquatic, impersonal yet funky
3:22 To Rococo Rot - The Amateur View more traditionally emotive
~4:15 Tarwater - 11/6 12/10 fans of Amon Tobin might like this
5:16 Ganger - Fore harder, faster Tortoise
6:28 Ganger - Hammock Style
???? June of 44 - Tropics and Meridians
8:12 June of 44 - Four Great Points
8:56 Rachel’s – Handwriting
9:41 Rachel’s – the sea and the bells

~9:00 AM Benji
11:48 Liars – Mess
6:12 Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head
7:18 Songs: Ohia - Ghost Tropics
9:02 Residents - Commercial Album vinyl
9:52 Slint EP vinyl
10:13 Tortoise - “Lonesome Sound” and "Mosquito" vinyl
10:24 Tortoise s/t
11:27 Songs: Ohia s/t